Leading reps, Livni discuss Iran

Two top members of the U.S. House of Representatives discussed efforts to isolate Iran with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) ended a joint visit to Israel on Thursday. The meeting with Livni “focused on efforts to enforce economic sanctions against Iran for violating U.N. Security Council resolutions concerning its nuclear program,” a statement from Ros-Lehtinen’s office said. The two also met with Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of the opposition Likud Party, and Shimon Peres, the deputy prime minister. Other topics discussed included arms smuggling into the Gaza Strip and backing for terrorist groups by Iran and Syria. Wexler and Ros-Lehtinen also joined a trade delegation led by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican.